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How OLED technology works




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Remember the times of bulky CRT TVs? They were huge, heavy, consumer a lot of power and most importantly, they lacked premium appeal. Thankfully, with the introduction of LCD technology, CRT TVs became a thing of the past. Things even got better when LCDs were replaced by LED-backlit LCD TVs. Today, LED TVs hold a major chunk of the TV market but the more premium, improved technology are OLED TVs. Organic light emitting diodes, also known as OLED can produce an exceptional picture quality and with their bold designs, they instantly mesmerise. In fact, at CES 2019, we even saw some brands showing off foldable and transparent OLED TVs which made this technology even more exciting to explore. What makes OLED TVs such an interesting technology?

How does an LED display work?

To have a better understanding of OLED TVs, let us first understand how pictures are created on a LED TV. An LED TV is made of three main components – LED backlit diodes, liquid crystals and colour filters. When we turn on our TV, these diodes gets electrically charged and produce light. This light then passes through liquid crystals layer and a RGB colour filter. A RGB colour filter is made of small individual colour pixels which are capable of reproducing colours and that’s how we see pictures on our screen.

Some of us may have this question – if we are talking about an LED TV, why does it have a liquid crystal panel in it? This confusion is because of the terms used to describe these technologies. Whenever we watch a LED TV, we actually see a LCD display which gets its light from LED diodes. So the term LED TV, just refers to the LED diodes which produce light and not the display.

As of now, there are three main types of backlit technologies – an edge-lit technology which is used in most of the LED TVs, PC monitors and phones,  while the most premium among them is the full-array technology, which is used in high-end full HD TVs.

How does an OLED display work?

An OLED display follows the same principle as a LED display, but operates in a slightly different manner. A LED panel requires a dedicated backlighting setup to produce light. However, an OLED panel can produce its own light. All this is possible due specially constructed OLED diodes.

An OLED diode is made of six different layers with two of them retaining organic properties. When current is passed through these diodes, these organic layers produce light which passes through a colour refiner that produce picture on the screen. As these panels do not require a backlit setup, TV makers can eliminate the extra bulk and make OLED TVs significantly thinner than LED TVs. In fact, these panels are so compact that they are even used in premium phones. Now you have the same, brilliant performance in a TV.

What are advantages of an OLED Display?

Higher contrast levels

An OLED display can produce significantly high contrast levels compared to a LED display. As an OLED display can individually control its pixels, these pixels can completely turnoff themselves whenever they are required to produce absolutely dark blacks. Hence, the pictures produced on an OLED TV have a deep vibrant colour unlike any other television. A typical LED TV cannot achieve such darks, as the backlit LED diodes are only capable of dimming themselves, not turning off entirely.

Wide viewing angles

If you have an OLED TV, you can easily watch content from any corner of your home without losing out on colour accuracy. As an OLED TV has a compact build, the distance between pixels and the surface of the screen is nearly non-existent. Hence, the pictures produced on an OLED TV have better viewing angles.

In case of an LED TV, viewing angles largely depends on the type of technology being used. Most entry-level PC monitors and phones use basic twisted nematic (TN) panel, which generally offer poor viewing angles. Fortunately, the majority of LED TVs and smartphones today sport IPS panels which are capable of delivering good viewing angle.

Thinner and flexible

An OLED display retains some special properties, which makes them thin as well as flexible. TV manufacturers have already experimented with curved OLED TVs. In fact, smartphone manufacturers have made phones with curved displays which created a buzz in the market for a while. Brands such as LG has been doing wonderful work in development of the flexible OLED display technologies. LG already launched their wallpaper OLED series TVs which sticks to your wall using magnets. At CES 2019, LG even announced their 65-inch Signature OLED TV which can change its height, roll down to show information like weather or even completely roll into its stand and  disappear. Could this be the future of OLED TVs in our homes? Time will tell.

OLED or LED – which is the best?

For now, to choose the best, it’s important for us to know what to expect from our next TV. If you wish to have a TV with the sleekest design and uncompromised picture quality, the OLED TV remain is the best future-proof choice. If you are on a budget or don’t want to spend a lot more, a full HD or 4K LED TV can also be option as you won’t be missing out too much with it. As prices continue to drop, don’t be surprised if you find a stunning OLED at unbelievable prices.

Still can’t decide which one to choose? Come look through our catalogue of Full HD, 4K TVs, OLED and HDR TVs. You can also head to your nearest Reliance Digital store to get a hands-on, demonstration of our wide range of OLED and LED TVs.